A mockup of SpaceShipTwo sits next to the Virgin Galactic's Gateway To Space building at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company's first space tourism flight appears to be a couple of years away.

A mockup of SpaceShipTwo sits next to the Virgin Galactic's Gateway To Space building at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company's first space tourism flight appears to be a couple of years away.

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The Milky Way Galaxy rises over Boca Chica beach, where SpaceX plans to build a launch site by 2016.

The Milky Way Galaxy rises over Boca Chica beach, where SpaceX plans to build a launch site by 2016.

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Setting sun silhouettes wind turbines to the west that serve as a backdrop to retired aircraft in the Mojave boneyard in California, home to many new space companies.

Setting sun silhouettes wind turbines to the west that serve as a backdrop to retired aircraft in the Mojave boneyard in California, home to many new space companies.

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XCOR CEO Jeff Greason chats with Midland officials before a "wall breaking" ceremony at Midland International Airport. The company is moving to West Texas from Mojave.

XCOR CEO Jeff Greason chats with Midland officials before a "wall breaking" ceremony at Midland International Airport. The company is moving to West Texas from Mojave.

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A Blue Origin engine test at its West Texas site near Van Horn. The secretive company founded by Jeff Bezos recently announced a deal to build engines for United Launch Alliance.

A Blue Origin engine test at its West Texas site near Van Horn. The secretive company founded by Jeff Bezos recently announced a deal to build engines for United Launch Alliance.

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A rainbow is seen behind Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon cargo craft are prepared for launch.

A rainbow is seen behind Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon cargo craft are prepared for launch.

Photo: Houston Chronicle

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World View intends to take passengers 100,000 feet, or about 18 miles, above the Earth's surface.

World View intends to take passengers 100,000 feet, or about 18 miles, above the Earth's surface.

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Would you accept a free ride into space? Most Americans apparently wouldn't.

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Among the space geek crowd there’s a lot of excitement about private spaceflight.

A number of companies are seeking to provide cheaper access to space and, as part of that, there’s a budding space tourism industry. That is, for a few hundred thousand dollars — or less — companies will soon offer you a seat on a suborbital spaceflight.

This hasn’t happened yet, and the most prominent such company, Virgin Galactic, has suffered several setbacks. But the space tourcism era will soon dawn, whether its Virgin Galactic, XCOR, or some other company such as World View. I’d guess we’ll see the first space tourism flight to the edge of space in 2016 or 2017.

Anyway, I write all of that because there’s a new poll from Monmouth University, which surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults, that shows most of America is decidedly less enthused about private spaceflight than the space geek set.

One question asked whether private companies and individuals should have the freedom to pursue spaceflight:

(Monmouth University Poll)

This, at least, is good news. These results are significant because the survey, conducted in mid-December, came just a little more than a month after the failures of the commercial Orbital rocket and Virgin Galactic spacecraft in October, 2014. Press on, Americans say.

Another question asked how likely it is that ordinary people will be able to travel regularly to outer space in the next 20 or 30 years. I’m not sure what this means. Does “ordinary people” mean non-astronauts, or people with average incomes? In any case, most people don’t think this will happen soon.

(Monmouth University Poll)

For the record, I would answer “very likely.” Prices will eventually come down some, and I believe we’re going to see thousands of people going into space, at least on suborbital flights, by the 2040s.

This brings us to the final question, which for me is the most significant one in my opinion: If you won a free trip on a private company’s rocket ship into space, would you take the trip?

(Monmouth University Poll)

Shockingly, only about one quarter of respondents would take the trip. I wonder whether this is due to safety concerns, or a simple lack of desire to go into space. It is interesting that, according to a Gallup Poll taken in 1966, just 17 percent of Americans were interested in hitching a ride on the first moon shot.